


Built on Lies

by GeoffsEightGreatestMistakes



Series: Reporters and a Black Skull Mask [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fake AH Crew, GTA AU, M/M, Reporter!Jon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-10 00:30:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4370240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeoffsEightGreatestMistakes/pseuds/GeoffsEightGreatestMistakes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan knew that this day would come.</p>
<p>He knew that one day that the life he had built on lies would fall apart one day.</p>
<p>Ryan knew that one day Jon would find out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Built on Lies

**Author's Note:**

> So I was using a prompt generator and this came up… dude I’m not even sorry with what you’re about to read.

Ryan knew that this day would come.

He knew that one day that the life he had built on lies would fall apart one day.

Ryan knew that one day Jon would find out.

____________________________

For the past three years, Jon had been with Ryan, and they’d been a happy couple.

In the first year, they started to date with mutual feelings, and quickly they fell into a perfect relationship.

In the second year, Ryan asked Jon to move in with him. They moved right into Ryan’s fancy Vinewood apartment that left them with more room than they needed.

In the third year, Jon thought about proposing to Ryan, and he even went out and bought a ring.

They were happy, well… more than happy.

Ryan woke first, taking a quick shower before starting to cook breakfast for his boyfriend. In the relationship, Ryan was the early-riser. When breakfast was almost finished, Jon would wander into the kitchen with pajama pants riding low on his hips; Ryan would pull Jon into a sleepy, good morning kiss. Jon would murmur a good morning, and Ryan would hand him his cup of coffee. After a few sips, Jon would be a little more talkative, and by the end of the cup he’d be wide awake.

As Jon drank his coffee, Ryan would slide a plate full of food in front of Jon, and the two would eat happily; Ryan checking his iPad for the latest news, and Jon just relaxing before he headed down to the office for a hectic day of work.

After breakfast, Jon would get dressed while Ryan cleaned up- and the two would share a sweet, chaste kiss as their goodbye. Jon would leave the apartment for work, and Ryan would sigh.

The blond always felt bad about this… But he watched the front door shut; his eyes staring almost longingly at it for a minute or so. And then he’d walk to the guest bedroom closet- pull out a shoebox that he had stashed at the top shelf behind some other random boxes, and he’d slowly lift off the lid.

Inside, laid the black skull mask that was the foundation of his lies. Slowly, he slips it on, and grabs the neatly folded black and blue leather jacket that came with the mask…

And he would go to work.

____________________________

“How was work today?” Jon comes home first, always. He’d come home and get started to dinner depending on what time he arrived. Usually, if it wasn’t a busy day at work, Ryan would be there for dinner, and on this night, he was there.

“Long day,” that part of Ryan’s answer was the truth. “The boss kept giving us shit to do and not enough time to do it.” That was sort of the truth… Jon thought that Ryan was a businessman, and didn’t question it. It seemed reasonable; Ryan had a big fancy apartment in a million-dollar apartment, and they never had to worry about money as an issue.

“Mm…” Jon hums softly. “I have an article that needs to be turned into first thing tomorrow… I’m gonna have to work on it a little.”

“That’s okay,” Ryan’s sitting at the kitchen table, cutting up the chicken Jon has made. “You can work on it, I’ll read or something.”

Jon doesn’t speak; he nods a little and glances up at Ryan. His boyfriend is picking at his food again. It doesn’t happen often, so when it happens, it worries Jon.

“What’s up?” The dark-haired man’s head tilts without him realizing. His eyebrows furrow and his bright blue eyes take on a worrying look. “You’re not eating…”

“Nothing, really, it’s no big deal,” the blond shakes his head, and his shoulders droop. Jon doesn’t like that. Biting his lip, Ryan sighs through his nose. “I’m just, stressed about work.”

The blond takes a bite of his chicken, as if it’s proving a point that he’s okay, and everything’s okay. That answer seems to please Jon for now, and a few seconds later another topic is brought up. The topic causes Jon’s worried expression and Ryan’s hesitant expression to fade away into warm smiles and loving looks.

Ryan’s lucky…

He’s survived another day.

But it won’t last.

____________________________

Ryan’s taken the day off from work; he tells Geoff that he needs a day off, since Jon finally doesn’t need to be in the office.

These days are rare; where Jon’s not needed in the office and Ryan’s able to take a day off. And it’s always pleasant, because those days are the most relaxing. Jon relaxes after hectic, rushed work as a reporter, and Ryan’s nerves about his lies calm.

On that day, Ryan glances at the fridge as toast is in the toaster and bacon is frying on a pan on the stove. Behind him, he hears Jon sipping at his coffee.

“Do you want to go to the store with me today? We’re almost out of everything,” Ryan turns, raising an eyebrow.

Looking up from the paper laid on the table, Jon shakes his head. “Nah, you can handle it.” His smile is slightly crooked and goofy, and of course Ryan copies it.

“Anything special you want me to get?” He closes the fridge and glances at the little whiteboard that’s stuck to the fridge. On the little board is a list of stuff that needs to be gotten from the store. It’s a fairly hefty list; not surprising since most of the fridge is empty.

With a small chuckle, Jon glances down at the paper. “We’re almost out of lube…”

Ryan chuckled too, glancing quickly at the list on the whiteboard. Luckily, he had a good memory and didn’t need to write it down. “I’ll get some more.”

The blond comes up to the table, leaning over it to press a kiss into Jon’s hair, which had yet to be brushed.

“I’ll be back in about an hour.”

“Okay, see you then.”

Jon smiles up at Ryan, watching his boyfriend slip on his shoes and grab the keys from the bowl on the end of the kitchen island, and slip out the door. He smiles and keeps his eyes on the door for a few seconds after it closes, and then he looks back down at the paper.

____________________________

Ryan’s balancing the full grocery bags carefully in his arms as he pulls out his keys. It takes a few tries for the key to make it in the lock, and then a few more tries to get the door open with his full hands. The door’s nudged open with his foot.

He steps into the kitchen, practically rushing over to the island to dump the bags on the marble counter-top. The blond’s grabbing his keys and dropping them in the little ceramic bowl when he notices how quiet it is in the apartment.

It’s oddly quiet, and it worries him for a few seconds.

But there’s Windex on the counter-top and a roll of paper towels there that wasn’t there when he left. Maybe Jon cleaned up a little and he’s taking a shower….

But Ryan doesn’t hear the water running.

He silently puts away the frozen foods, and then leaves the rest on the counter and he pads into the living room.

Jon’s not on the couch, or sitting at their dining room table that sits in front of the wall of windows that over-look Los Santos; Ryan’s eyebrows furrow and the floorboards below the carpet creak underneath him as he slowly makes his way down the hall.

“Jon…?” Ryan calls out, and he hears something shifting down the hall. “Dear…?”

It’s what he’s always called Jon. Jon’s his dear, and Ryan is Jon’s sweetheart. Just playful, loving names that make both of them smile and their eyes light up.

But Ryan’s eyes are lighting up now.

He gets to the end of the hall, where there are two doors. On the left is the closed door that leads to the master bedroom, and the left is a cracked open door that leads to the guest bedroom.

Slowly, he pushes open the guest bedroom door the rest of the way…

And he freezes like a statue.

On the bed lays the shoebox that hides the truth, and there’s Jon… sitting next to it with the lid on his other side.

Jon doesn’t look up when he hears Ryan’s breathing hitch into a gasp.

“Jon…” Ryan’s tone is breathy as he tries to keep his breathing steady. But it’s not working, and Ryan’s voice shakes in that one word. “I’m… I… I’m…”

He can’t find his words, and he watches as Jon’s head slowly rises.

His boyfriend’s eyes are red and glossy with tears, and his nose is red like it’s been rubbed at harshly. He knows that Jon was crying— he still _is_ crying.

“I can’t believe you,” Jon’s voice is low; so low Ryan can barely hear it. “I… I can’t…” His voice breaks, and if there’s any part of Ryan’s heart that can still break, it’s now in pieces.

Jon’s head bows, and he raises a hand to wipe away the tears. Ryan itches to step forward and wipe them away… but he doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know what to say.

It’s all fallen apart, and Ryan wishes he never lied in the first place.

But where would that get him?

Jon could’ve found out a few years ago, and saved them the trouble and just ended the relationship… or they could’ve—and did end up here.

Whatever way they had gone, they would’ve ended up in pain… And now here they were; falling apart.

“H-How… How did you find it…?” Ryan whispers, not knowing what else to ask.

Jon inhales so loudly it’s all that Ryan can hear; it echoes in his head and he feels the burn of tears in his eyes. “I… I was cleaning up… and…. And… oh my _god_.”

Jon puts his head in his hands, and his shoulders start to shake with silent cries. Ryan takes a step forward, and Jon shakes his head harshly.

“Don’t take another step,” it comes out as a demand. Now Ryan’s left there, standing one step into the room, his hands up like he’s trying to reach for Jon. The blond is too scared to say anything, and he lets Jon stumble over his words between soft sobs and sniffles.

“I can’t believe this… I can’t… I can’t believe you.”

“Please…” Ryan’s tone takes on a pleading, begging tone. “Please—I can explain.”

“What is there to explain?” The words are full of venom, and Ryan’s heart breaks into even smaller pieces. “You lied to me for _years_ ; you… you kill people… and steal… and… and I thought… _God_ I thought you were so… I thought you were different…”

“I didn’t tell you to protect you.”

“What was there to protect me from?” Jon hisses, his hands falling away as he raises his head. Their eyes meet- glossy, tear-filled eyes meeting Ryan’s, which still burned as tears started to well up.

“To protect you,” Ryan repeats in a whisper, and Jon shakes his head.

“Why would I need to be protected?” Jon’s voice cracks as it rises in volume. “What could you _possibly_ protect me from when you don’t tell me the truth?”

“I wanted to keep you safe… If you had known what I’d do, you’d only get in the way,” Ryan’s trying to keep his voice calm and low… But it’s not working—it’s cracking and breaking and shaking.

“ _I’d only get in the way_?” Jon stands up from the bed, and his hands curl into fists.

“No!” Ryan’s hands are shaking and he takes a step closer to Jon. “I-I didn’t mean it like that—You’d get hurt, and I couldn’t let myself… I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt because of me…”

“Well you’re not doing a good job at that now, huh?” Jon’s hissing and crossing his arms over his chest- and no, Ryan wants to scream.

He wants to shout and scream and raise his voice; tell Jon that it’s not _like_ that. He hid the mask and the leather jacket because if Jon knew… then he would lose Jon. Jon would be open to the hitmen, the muggers, the crews, all the enemies that Ryan had made over the years; Jon would be in danger, and Ryan couldn’t let him get hurt.

“If you knew I could lose you,” Ryan’s voice cracks and the first tear rolls down his cheek. It’s then like a waterfall; once the first tear rolls his cheeks are covered in tears. And he doesn’t even bother to wipe them away. “You could be taken away from me… and I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you...”

Jon’s silent for what feels like an eternity.

The tears on the brunet’s cheeks don’t stop, and he just barely shakes as he thinks.

“Why should I believe you?”

The words make it feel like Ryan’s having a knife shoved into his heart- and he feels like he’s choking on the air.

Jon watches as Ryan breaks, and falls down onto the carpet of the guest bedroom. His boyfriend is on his knees, and Jon’s eye twitches.

“Please…” Ryan’s on his knees, his hands running through and pulling harshly at his hair. “Please… Jon you mean the world to me. I don’t- I don’t want to lose you, and-and I didn’t tell you… Because I would’ve lost you..”

There’s a pause—Jon doesn’t say anything and Ryan’s gasping between sobs.

He won’t realize until far later- but this is the first time he’s ever seen Ryan cry in the three years they’ve been together.

“I could lose you… and please… I love you.”

It’s silent for a long time.

But then, Jon parts his lips, taking in a breath that’s shaking, and he speaks in what could barely count as a whisper.

“I… I don’t know.” He pauses. “This… This isn’t… I can’t even think.”

“Please,” the blond begs again.

“I don’t know,” it’s a repeat, but it’s more panicked now. “I don’t know if I can still _trust_ you. You told me… you told me that we need to trust each other, and I told you no secrets… You fucking _agreed_ with me, and _promised_ me that there wouldn’t be any secrets…”

In the first year, they had a talk about how serious this relationship was, and Jon had told him that he felt like this was it—that this relationship felt like ‘soulmate stuff’, and this was it. Their one true love. Ryan had agreed, and kissed Jon sweetly and slowly.

When the kiss had broken, all that time ago, Jon had whispered that he needed to be sure Ryan trusted him. Ryan had agreed. He agreed again when Jon put his forehead against his and said ‘no more secrets’.

And now Jon felt like that had been thrown back in his face.

“You told me that there wouldn’t be any more secrets…”

“This wasn’t a secret,” Ryan starts to push himself off the ground.

Their anger was fading away now; and replacing it was a mix of grief, guilt, and depression.

“Then what was it?”

“It… It wasn’t the truth.”

“You lied… For three years you lied.”

Ryan doesn’t respond.

“So every time I asked about work, was that a lie?”

“It… It was, most of the time.”

Jon laughs, but it’s dry, flat, and humorless. “Then how do I know if this is a lie? You told me you were a business man, not the fucking _Vagabond_.”

For the first time, Jon says the name; the name that the mask holds; the lifestyle that Ryan puts on whenever that mask is worn. And it kills Ryan that it comes out of Jon’s lips like it was poison in the brunet’s mouth.

“I love you Jon,” Ryan whispers, and he’s allowed to step into Jon’s personal space. He gently cups his boyfriend’s cheek with one hand, and the other gently rests on his hip.

Jon’s head falls; he feels too sick to his stomach to look Ryan in the eyes.

“I… I don’t know if I do…” Jon’s voice gets choked up and it sounds watery and weak as fresh tears spill from his eyes. The tear-tracks that the tears leave makes Ryan slowly pull his boyfriend close.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you… I just wanted to protect you.”

Jon doesn’t ask another question—he wants Ryan to speak, and explain himself.

“If you knew about the mask, then… Then you’d know about everything else. You’d know about the crew, and everything I do… and you’d know that… that the only reason I stay is because I love you, and I want to get the money to keep you happy.”

Jon parts his lips, but Ryan gets there first.

“You would know that some days I hear rumors that someone knows about you, and I stay up at night watching the door to make sure no one comes in and takes you.”

Ryan’s voice shakes and he gently sits down on the bed, pulling Jon down with him; and into his lap.

“You’d know my demons… and you’d know everything else… and… and I could lose you. Someone could take you, and I could never see you again…”

The tears slowly stop, and Jon’s left with his head on Ryan’s shoulder and his boyfriend shaking and crying softly with his voice just barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, Jon… I can’t… I can’t lose you.”

It’s silent for a minute or two as Ryan lets out shaky, soft, hoarse sobs.

“I love you.”

Jon inhales through his nose, and exhales through his mouth. “I… I love you too.”

____________________________

That’s the end of the argument for now.

It falls into silence after Jon tells Ryan he loves him, and Jon doesn’t care that it’s the middle of the day; he lies down and Ryan comes with him.

They’ll talk about this when they wake up.

They’ll talk through everything; all of Jon’s questions, concerns, fears, and worries.

Jon will ask why Ryan stays, and Ryan will tell him that he does this so they can stay there, in the apartment, and not have to worry about scraping money together.

Ryan will ask Jon if this is okay, and Jon shows hesitance. But he then says that it’s okay… Ryan just needs to tell him everything from now on, and he needs to meet the crew.

Ryan laughs at that- and slowly nods. ‘I can arrange something…’ he says, and then Jon cuts him off saying that Ryan will also need to be completely honest, and come to him if he ever gets hurt.

That part of the conversation ends with Jon demanding that Ryan never gets himself killed, and with a light-hearted smile, Ryan nods. It ends with a kiss, and Jon says he still has more questions.

“Will you protect me?” The brunet tilts his head to the side without knowing, and it makes Ryan smile softly.

“Of course, I’ve already been protecting you for years,” Ryan whispers back. It puts a smile on Jon’s lips.

“And if I ever get kidnapped, tell me that you’ll find me as soon as possible,” Jon whispers, and Ryan looks hesitant.

“I won’t ever let you get taken… But if you do, I promise I’ll get you the second I find you,” the blond agrees.

The smile that’s on Jon’s lips is mirrored on Ryan’s.

The guilt and grief from before is long gone now.

“Do you think they’ll like me?” Jon’s got in a shy smile, and Ryan pulls his boyfriend close.

“They’ll love you, but of course I’ll love you more.”

It’s a cheesy line that makes Jon laughed with a high-pitched, absolutely adorable giggle.

“I love you,” the brunet whispers and he presses a kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek.

“I love you too,” the blond whispers back.

____________________________

Ryan thought that when Jon found out about the mask, that was it.

It would be the end and he’d lose the man he loved.

But that didn’t happen—instead, the love they shared grew stronger.

 

Ryan knew this day would come, he knew that Jon would find out about the mask…

But he didn’t expect the lies he had made to be replaced with promises and love.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Well I have officially made a new series… wooo…. But hey- I’m thrilled about this one c:
> 
> And shoutout to my tears… Totally cried while writing this tbh. And I was legit about to call the series the AFTERMASK.


End file.
